Stage Fright
by Tang Si Ming-Yue
Summary: Sokka had stage fright, that much was obvious. He was on soon, that much was fact. Only one person could get him out there. //Happy late birthday kasplosion!//


A/N: Okay, so this is kasplosion's birthday present. But her birthday was last month. So… yeah. I'm just awful. :( I lost the file, looked for the file, couldn't find the file, had no time to rewrite the file… it's a very sad, long story.

BUT HERE IT IS. SO HAPPY [belated] BIRTHDAY, KASPLOSION!! :DD You're the best, best, best, best, bestest friend I've never met! :D ILY!

Disclaimer: Sokka: Happy birthday, Kas!

Me: How do you know her??

Sokka: Psh, please, I know everyone!

Me: So what'd you get her for a present?

Sokka: …Present?

o-o-o-o

Stage Fright

Sokka couldn't breathe. He couldn't do this! I mean, _obviously!_ He had never been any good at this. People told him he was, but he really wasn't! He would pass out before he could even say a word!

Sokka could _not_ go on stage!

Was he hyperventilating? He felt like he was hyperventilating. When did he go on again? This scene? The next scene? Oh, _geez,_ what was his first line?! He couldn't do this, _he couldn't do this!_

He felt dizzy. Maybe it was the hyperventilating thing. Whatever it was, Sokka took off the hat he was currently wearing, one of the many he would wear throughout the play, and began to fan himself.

"Hey… Sokka?" Sokka turned and found his sister coming towards him, decked in sequins and pink. "What's the matter?"

"I… I-I, yah, sha… buh…" Oh, _Spirits, _he couldn't _speak_ now?? This was fantastic, _fantastic._

"Spirits," Katara said. "You've got stage fright."

All Sokka could do was nod and squeak.

"He's got _stage fright?"_ Aang came into Sokka's range of vision in a basketball uniform and a prop cake in his hand.

Katara nodded.

"But he's one of the main characters!" Sokka began to fan himself harder.

Aang noticed Sokka's reaction. "Err, maybe I shouldn't have said that…"

Katara began to rub Sokka's arm comfortingly. "Sokka, everything's going to be fine. You've done so good in rehearsals!"

"Yeah, it's just like rehearsals, Sokka!" Aang added. "Only, y'know, with blinding lights and an audience watching your every move, ready to pounce on every mistake you make and-"

"_Aang," _Katara said, glaring at the boy. "Look, you're making Sokka well up!"

Sokka moved his shaking hands to his eyes. They were, indeed, a little wet. He hadn't even noticed. Dear Lord, what _else _hadn't he noticed? Did he have a booger in his nose? Had he remembered to shave this morning? Oh, my – _had he put on pants??_

After he felt to make sure he had pants on, he suddenly noticed the majority of the cast standing around him, looking at him curiously and with concern. A blur of "Don't worry"s and "You'll be great"s rang through his ears over and over again. But he just couldn't get the idea of screwing up on stage out of his head.

Sokka screwed up everything in his life, right? He was just an all-around screw-up! He heard someone inside his head chanting: _Screw-up, screw-up, screw-up, screw-up…_

"Okay, okay," a voice said, "what seems to be the problem here?"

Toph, the stage manager of this year's fall musical, came towards the hoard of people, arms crossed in an annoyed fashion. "Come _on, _people, we have a play to put on, and all your jabbering is getting a _little bit loud,_ considering there are _people acting on stage!"_

"Sorry, Toph," Katara said in a much quieter voice than before. "It's just that Sokka has stage fright and we're all trying to tell him that he'll do great out there."

"He thinks he's gonna, for lack of a better word, suck," Aang said. Everyone but Sokka turned to glare at him. Aang, only just realizing his mistake, muttered, "Man, I am _not _on top of things today…"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Sokka. You'll do fine, okay? Geez…"

And it was at this moment that Sokka was able to talk once more.

"But what if I _don't_ do fine? What if I'm awful? What if I ruin the entire musical? What if my voice cracks? What if I embarrass myself? What if I forget my pants? What if I fall asleep on stage? What if I forget a line or a cue or something? What if I fall off stage? What if I trip when I'm dancing? What if I knock over the keyboard and start an electrical fire? What if I rip a curtain and Ms. Wu _kills _me? What if my phone goes off on stage? What if it's my _Gran-Gran _calling? What if I wet myself? What if Aang makes me feel worse again? What if I go out without my shoes on? What if I let one rip on stage? What if-"

He was interrupted by two lips touching his.

Sokka was so shocked that someone had kissed him, he couldn't help but stop talking. When he opened his eyes and saw that it was _Toph_ who had kissed him, he couldn't help but stare in awe as he turned bright red.

No one backstage said a word.

"You wouldn't stop talking," Toph finally said, turning her head away from everyone. "No one _else_ was doing anything, were they? So, just – just stop being stupid and go on stage, okay?!"

It was still silent as Toph walked away, giving directions into her headset.

Sokka, still a little bit pink, found his heart beating even faster than when he was nervous. But somehow, he felt better than before. Taking a deep breath, he gripped his hat and plopped it on his head. He smiled. "I'm ready."

o-o-o-o

A/N: For those of you who guessed that they were putting on the play version of "High School Musical," you are correct. This is because my school is putting on HSM right now (I'm playing Kelsi, if you were wondering (which you prolly weren't)), and it's what was on my mind when I wrote it. And, plus, who wouldn't think Sokka being Ryan would be _awesome?_

Of course, if I was really casting HSM with the Avatar cast, Azula and Zuko would be Sharpay and Ryan instead of Sokka and Katara. Sokka would be Zeke instead of Aang, Aang would be Troy, and Katara would be Gabriella (Kataang, duh), I could see Suki as Taylor, and I think Toph could pull off Chad. :D

So… anyways…

HAPPYYYY [late] BIRTHDAY, KASPLOSION!!! You're amazing and swell and awesome and rockin' and I'm so glad that I met you almost two years ago! I hope you liked my present to you!

Sokka: For the record, that is NOT how I would react if I were actually on stage.

Me: _…Right._

Tangy :)


End file.
